Mary Allen
The single keeping of guinea pigs is generally to be rejected! In Switzerland, it is now even banned by law. Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten that far in Germany yet. But you should always remember that keeping guinea pigs alone is cruelty to animals. “Piggy needs piggy” is the motto. Socialization with other animals is to be regarded as very critical. Guinea pigs and rabbits are still often put together. This can work, but only if several animals of the same species live in a sufficiently large enclosure (e.g. two guinea pigs and two rabbits) and the animals get along well.
Partner Choice
Unfortunately, there is no panacea for the best combination. Each animal has its own character and will enforce this if necessary. From experience, littermates often go quite well together.
Females can harmonize wonderfully with one another. However, you can sometimes catch small “bitches” and then it becomes unpleasant.
An ideal combination is still the pair (one female and one male). However, it should be noted that the male should be castrated if you want to avoid a collection of funny companions. When castrating, it should be remembered that the male can still be able to mate for up to 6 weeks after the operation. An alternative is an early castration (before the onset of sexual maturity), but this should be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Two or more castrated bucks can also form a well-functioning male community. The lowest-ranking buck then assumes the position of a so-called “pseudo-female”.
A great species-appropriate combination is a mixed pack – consisting of a castrated male and his harem ladies. In this mixture, natural behavior can best be observed and the animals feel very comfortable.
When living in a two-person flatshare, you should consider that when an animal dies – as irreverent as it may sound for people – you should find a new partner for the surviving piggy as quickly as possible or put the piggy on to a new group. It is not uncommon for guinea pigs to mourn to death within a few days, especially if the partnership has lasted for a very long time.
Inside Or Outside?
In principle, guinea pigs are also suitable for being kept outdoors all year round, but they are much more susceptible to changing weather conditions than, for example, rabbits.
Housing
First of all: there is no cage that is too big. As a rough rule of thumb, you can assume an area of at least 0.5 m²/animal. If you keep adult males, you can even assume an area of approx. 1 m²/animal. This quickly shows that most commercially available cages are far too small for keeping guinea pigs. Self-builds are therefore best suited. On the one hand, this is great fun – especially when children are allowed to help with the planning and implementation – on the other hand, you can respond perfectly to the needs of your pig flatshare. An in-house production does not necessarily have to be more expensive than ready-made cages. You can find great building instructions on the internet.
When running out in the apartment, the animal must not have access to power cables and sockets. Poisonous houseplants must be removed or placed at a height that the piggy cannot reach. When it comes to your furniture, don’t be upset if a piece is missing, because guinea pigs will nibble on anything they can get their teeth on. It is better to build a small fence.
Free Range
If guinea pigs are used to being kept outside, you can definitely leave them outside in winter. Again, size matters. But weather protection must not be neglected either. Rain, snow, and storms have no place in the enclosure.
Free-range husbandry is certainly the most species-appropriate form of husbandry if a few rules are observed. Shelters should stand on stilts to prevent ground frost from entering the hut. The walls of the shelters should be made of hollow boards at least 2 cm thick. The cottage should not be too big, otherwise, it will be difficult to keep warm. It is recommended to create a small “foot manure stall” in autumn/winter. It is not completely mucked out every other day, but always refilled with new bedding/straw. The bottom layers compost and generate warmth, while the animals always stay dry on the top layers. In the winter months, in particular, it is important to ensure that you get enough vitamin C.